Leadership Learning Community (Family Groups), North Lanarkshire Council

The Leadership Learning Community involves all Primary Headteachers in North Lanarkshire Council organised into “Family Groups” based on similar characteristics with each group supported by a lead Headteacher as well as local authority personnel. At the heart of this Leadership Learning Community is the deeply interconnected relationship between the Headteacher-as-learner and the learning that is enabled within their schools.

There is real clarity of vision and professional trust in schools from the Authority to empower school leaders to find their own solutions through a self-improving school system.

The climate and conditions are facilitated but not imposed by the Authority, allowing Headteachers to learn together, grow and authentically build capacity. Learning by enquiring is central to the Family Group meetings with Headteachers asking critical questions about themselves as leaders, their school, pupils and the systems they operate in. Reflection, research and reading are the catalyst for learning, with a range of resources used to provide real opportunities to critically examine knowledge and impact. Professional discussion is focused on leadership of and for learning with Headteachers enacting collaborative and enquiring approaches to their practice.

The objective of a ‘self-improving school’ system to facilitate effective practice transfer, leading to ongoing improvement across all establishments’ is at the core of the Professional Learning support, giving clear ownership of this to Headteachers.